A court released an Internet blogger Thursday while he appeals a two-year prison sentence for allegedly criticizing Morocco's king, the official news agency said.Mohamed Erraji was fined and sentenced to prison earlier this week for "lacking respect toward the person of the king and the royal family," the MAP agency said. It said prosecutors at the appeals court in Agadir, on Morocco's southern coast, agreed with giving Erraji a provisional release.Other media said the blogger had criticized state-funded programs in this North African nation, including those sponsored by King Mohammed VI, for not being well-run.The Paris-based rights groups Reporters Without Borders said in a statement Thursday that Erraji was "not guilty of insulting the king" and praised the decision to release him."The Moroccan judicial system must now hear his appeal in a proper manner," the Paris-based watchdog said in a statement. "We hope the outcome will be fair."A relatively liberal Muslim kingdom and a strong U.S. ally, Morocco has tried to loosen its political system over the past decade.It has held legislative elections considered among the most fair in the Arab world, and local media enjoy a measure of freedom. But some topics remain sensitive and are rarely reported on, such the king's personal life, the institution of the monarchy and the role of Islam in Morocco.//en.yabiladi.com/topics/release-morocco-blogger-jailed-royal-44-2705316-2705316.html#msg-2705316 Sat, 06 Jun 2026 05:31:44 +0200 Phorum 5.2.15